


tonight, the foxes hunt the hounds (it's all over now)

by xoithun



Category: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Genre: Everyone Needs A Hug, Fluff and Angst, How Do I Tag, Minor Violence, My First Fanfic, wind tribe represent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:33:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25140937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xoithun/pseuds/xoithun
Summary: (Four years later, they met again at the Xing border, and the temptation remained to kill anyone that brought pain upon them. Tae-Woo's eyes seemed duller, brown eyes no longer a bright hazelnut but a chocolate colour that seemed to dim away from the light. Hen-Dae's grin was less bright, more confined and restricted compared to their younger days. Saki's smirk felt forced, a blunt axe hacking through a hardened tree. Ayame's delicate hands were now calloused, finger pads rough and ragged. When they all met again, they seemed to go back to the days where they had never held a weapon for the first time or caused blood to spill on their precious grounds. Hak thought he should’ve done better.)Alternatively: Hak tastes bloodlust
Kudos: 12





	tonight, the foxes hunt the hounds (it's all over now)

When he was fourteen, he gained his first sip of bloodlust. 

It was a cool day, the wind a caress on the cheek and the hot sun glowing against their skin. Tae-Woo and Han-Dae were fighting in the middle of the village, wooden spears being thrown around in lazy motions. Hak narrowed his eyes at them whenever they strayed too close to a house, internally cursing whichever God gave them a nonexistent brain and opted to glare at them from afar. 

“Seems like you’re babysitting today,” Ayame commented, grinning gently as she approached his perch on a lone rock. Saki trailed behind with a carefree smirk common around the tribe, and let out a small chuckle. 

“It’s disappointing that they’re being labelled as babies when they’re this old.”  
“Excuse us!” Han-Dae yelled, running over and pointing his wooden spear too close to the teen’s face. Hak pushed the weapon away with the back of his hand, a grimace on his lips.   
“You’re going to poke out someone’s eyes one day like that.”   
“I’ll be extra careful! Don’t worry Hak!”  
“That makes me feel assured for sure. I’m honestly-” 

“Hak!” He turned to stare at the newcomer - an adult he recognised as someone he had occasionally accompanied on hunting trips.   
“Yeon-Joon. What is it?”  
“Bandits! A whole group of them are heading towards us!” His forehead was creased, and Hak could easily see the anxiousness in his eyes. A spike of concern gnawed at his chest, instantly beginning to contemplate the possibilities they could take.   
“The old man took our tribe to fix the water supply, right?”  
“Right! I heard they travelled further up to fix it. What should we do? We only have our kids and the elderly. The rest went to help out. We didn't expect this to happen!”   
“Why did you come to me? Surely there are better people to go to. Either way, it’s too far to retreat, especially if you could spot them…” Sighing, he hopped down from the rock. Surely there weren’t bandits dumb enough to fight the Wind Tribe? Damn that old man, he didn’t want all this hard work. 

“Alright, Yeon-Joon, Saki. Go evacuate the elderly and kids. The water supply is the safest place, so go there. Ayame, come to the entrance with me while Tae-Woo and Hen-Dae scout out the numbers.” 

“You know, if I didn’t like Saki, I definitely would’ve fallen for you.” Ayame joked, having done a quick run around the village to alert the remaining tribe members who hadn't heard the evacuation. Any of the high-strung tension Hak experienced during the Martial Arts tournament the previous year was nonexistent, although the current situation was evidently worse. Surprisingly, he felt at ease, and the feeling was reassuring yet simultaneously frightening.

“That thought by itself is horrid Ayame, it's not even a joke. Please stay with Saki,”  
“Hak! Is this how you treat your future bride!”   
He let out suffering sigh, eliciting a cackle from the girl next to him. Tae-Woo and Hen-Dae awaited at the entrance, already sparring each other in boredom. At their presence, Tae-Woo raised an eyebrow. 

“Couldn’t you be faster? You’re worse than the old man.”   
“Shut up Tae-Woo. How many?”   
“It’s a bigger bunch than usual. They must’ve heard of our seasonal hunting.” Sobering up considerably, he reported their findings, (although amusement lingered in Tae-Woo’s eyes.) “They’re all armed with weapons.”  
“Low grade though!” His partner in crime piped in, “Mainly daggers and a couple of worn bows. I noticed one or two with a sword, but that’s about it.”   
Contemplating, Hak weighed their choices.   
“How much risk do we want?”   
“I mean, I would prefer to have our tribe standing if that’s what you mean.”   
“Shut up Saki -” When did Saki arrive anyway? He frowned. Saki most likely asked Yeon-Joon to tell the tribe. 

“- Tae-Woo, Hen-Dae and I attack, while Ayame and Saki snipe with bows. You two have the best aim amongst us.”   
“Excluding you of course, but that’s bound to happen. You better not do anything reckless.” Ayame raised an eyebrow, and Hak laughed despite himself. “Who would I be to leave a helpless girl alone when we are engaged?”  
“D-d-did Hak just do a marriage joke?” Hen-Dae hissed at Tae-Woo, who looked close to throwing himself at the bandits. The said girl attempted a half-hearted kick before dragging Saki, who seemed to be questioning his existence. 

Rolling his shoulders as the duo stumbled off, he sighed quietly. The motion of unwrapping his glaive carried a lot more pressure than it should've, and he spared a glance towards the two. “How long?”   
“They should be arriving now. They looked pretty far off before, but maybe we can confirm with Ayame and Saki.”  
“Mhmm.”  
On cue, Saki threw down a rock from their tower. A sign the bandits were close, and Hak was startled they still used the same communication methods the five had made on a whim years ago. Perhaps he should have more faith in them. 

The bandits arrived brandishing weapons so worn they couldn’t have slit a throat, but the numbers were worrying, (it wasn't that he doubted his friends or anything.) If Hak was right, Saki and Ayame would first pick off the archers, so any flying arrows wouldn’t be too much of a concern, and it would just be swordsmen that would be an issue. An assailant attempted a swipe of their dagger, and Hak swung his glaive with an effortless pivot. Blood sprayed across his cheek, and maybe he should’ve asked the others if they were taking them alive, (they weren’t, he would discover later. The thought of mortality wasn’t even an idea. If anyone attacked the Wind Tribe, merciless death would be the greatest gift they would reward them.)  
Had Hak looked around, he would’ve seen the sharp arrows embedded into heads, and spear wounds sliced directly at the chests of the bandits. A further glance would’ve shown their faces devoid of any emotion aside from the desire to protect their tribe. No one would enter, and if they did, they wouldn’t survive a step into their land. 

“Tae-Woo!” Hen-Dae shouted, and Hak flicked his head to locate the mentioned boy. He spotted him amongst a cluster of bandits and could distinguish a growing patch of dark red staining his clothes. Any thought dissipated. His glaive lashed out at anyone who reached any semblance of ‘close.’ A back disappeared from vision, a neck so deliciously ripe for the taking slid off with a slice, a dagger cut into pieces cluttered to the ground. A sword slashed at his thigh, and the burn was nothing compared to the thought of Tae-Woo. He didn't even look at the man that managed a hit on him, but rather, made sure to add more force into his swing. 

“Hak -”  
His arm was so close to taking the throat of the person who even dared to come near him, but it instantly retracted when he realised it was Hen-Dae. The boy’s face was so different, so unusual, and his vision blurred. Hak blinked. His energy vanished along with any adrenaline, and his glaive dropped to the ground. He couldn't bear to look at the blonde in front of him. Blood slid between fingers, dripping at his elbows, at his jaw and on his cheek, splayed in a messy puddle around him. It felt wrong. He wanted to rip off any part that touched it. 

“Tae-Woo.” Hak rasped.   
“Right here! Hak is scary!” A weak chuckle, but Tae-Woo stood with the assistance of Hen-Dae, a hand plastered against his side. The fourteen-year-old couldn’t muster the strength to stand with them. Both were thirteen. Ayame and Saki were twelve, and he put so much pressure on them. Was he someone they could look up to? Could he be the person that would lead them in the future? 

You will be our next general Hak.   
No, he couldn’t. 

“Tae-Woo! Are you alright?” Saki yelled, bow still in hand as he sprinted over. Ayame held a dagger. The youths panted as they arrived, and Hak frowned at the blisters on their fingers, bloodied and raw.   
“I’m fine! The bandit just thought he had the upper hand.”   
"I saw you go down. Don't worry us like that Tae-Woo!"   
"Hahaha, of course, I won't let it happen again!" 

How could they still be so…so happy? How did he let them taste bloodshed? The blood on his hands was drying, and they stuck to his skin. Maybe, Hak wouldn't mind being covered like this to protect them. Even if he was the only one. He would be the only one. 

"What did you kids get up to?" Mun-Deok called, the rest of the tribe pushing past the entrance to observe the scene. He sounded worried for once, a tone not often used when around the tribe kids, but warranted. 

Hak refused to lift his head. Exhaustion, the relief of protecting their tribe, weighed his body down. White noise muffled his ears - he couldn't hear anything.  
Mun-Deok's voice grew audible as he drew closer, and Hak breathed a heavy sigh. 

"Ayame, Saki, go treat your fingers, and find your parents, I know they're worried. Hen-Dae, take Tae-Woo to the medical tent. I need to talk to Hak for a bit." 

"Alright old man, see you later." Hen-Dae chirped, and together, the four of them hobbled back. 

"You're drenched, you brat. Do you know how much of a chore it is to clean."   
"You say that, but I'm the one cleaning my clothes grandpa."   
"Brat." There wasn't any of his usual snark that accompanied the older man's words. It was a clear sign Hak was acting unusual. 

"Hey, General Mun-Deok. Did I do the wrong thing today?"  
"Depends. Even if you think it was the wrong choice, everyone is alive at the end of the day. I think it's a win."   
"They're twelve and thirteen. The blood on the ground, the weapons they used to kill. Should they have done it? Should I have let them?"   
"You're worried that they've killed too early right? No matter what happens, the life we all live is bound to be stained with blood. No matter if it's early or not. Don't worry your pea-sized brain about it."   
"..."   
"Come. Let's get you changed." 

The ache in Hak's chest still stung. It was heavy, like the glaive used to take lives, and the guilt tugged at every thought. The boy couldn't think. God, Tae-Woo could've died if he wasn't adequate with a spear. He could've sent Tae-Woo to his death today. 

He could've killed Tae-Woo. He could’ve killed any of them. 

His eyes welled, and Hak exhaled shakily. His neck ached from the position, but he refused to look up at Mun-Deok. The pressure and guilt infested inside his mind, and he hissed at the overwhelming urge to scream.

_hecouldhavekilledTae-WoohecouldhavekilledTae-WoohecouldhavekilledTae-Woo_

The air had gone cold. It bit against his skin like a rabid animal - right, like the dagger piercing Tae-Woo right in the throat and then the blood staining the bandits would've been his-

A sob broke from his throat. It was quiet, hoarse, but it resembled a wounded animal: vulnerable and scared. He couldn't close his damn tear ducts, and he clenched his eyelids together as tears fell. The blood stayed dried against his fingers as he sunk them into the soil, under his nails, against the ground, and suddenly he was in a warm embrace. It was solid. A pillar amongst the crumbling poles and Hak trembled.   
“N-n-no one’s h-here, right?”   
“Not a person in sight,” Mun-Deok answered quietly. 

“...I’m going to kill anyone that tries to hurt them.”

_(Four years later, they met again at the Xing border, and the temptation remained to kill anyone that brought pain upon them. Tae-Woo's eyes seemed duller, brown eyes no longer a bright hazelnut but a chocolate colour that seemed to dim away from the light. Hen-Dae's grin was less bright, more confined and restricted compared to their younger days. Saki's smirk felt forced, a blunt axe hacking through a hardened tree. Ayame's delicate hands were now calloused, finger pads rough and ragged. When they all met again, they seemed to go back to the days where they had never held a weapon for the first time or caused blood to spill on their precious grounds. Hak thought he should’ve done better.)_

**Author's Note:**

> So this was the most sporadic thing I've written in years and look! I have courage to post this horrendous story! yippee!
> 
> Constructive criticism is welcome! Hit me up via Twitter or Instagram at Koithun ;P


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